Hey there, Iām Jess āØ. On The Signature, I share reflections on beauty, routines, travel, wellness, culture, and everyday life. For those drawn to a calmer, more intentional way of living, I send a free newsletter each month on the 7th. You're welcome to join.
I consider myself a late adopter in regards to digital banking. I was living in Portugal when I heard several work colleagues speak about Revolut or Wise for travelling. At first I was not interested in changing banks because I used to change money and only travel with cash and then I had a credit card I could use for travel expenses.
In 2022, that changed as I needed to hold several currencies simultaneously and credit cards would have hefty charges when I used their exchange rates. That is when I signed up for Revolut, a European digital bank. Four years later, I can confirm it's my primary account out of several banks I have deposited my money at through the years.
Jess
What made me switch to Revolut?
First of all, Revolut is a 100% digital bank which I love as I don't have to stand in line at a branch for any service. It means you are sent your documentation via email and your cards arrive via post. They will never call you.
They make it easy to prevent and block fraudulent charges and it allows to budget as it reminds you of your recurring payments every month.
Furthermore, I love how easy it is to exchange currency and make international payments either online or offline when I am either in Paris using Euros or in South Africa using Rands or in Dubai using Dirhams. My previous cards used to charge me hefty foreign exchange fees, whereas Revolut doesn't.
Jess
Why I upgraded to the Premium Plan?
Revolut has 4 paying plans called: Plus, Premium, Metal and Ultra. I used to have the Plus plan but switched to Premium one because of exchange. In the Plus plan, you can exchange up to ā¬3,000 without fees from Monday to Friday, which would result in charges on weekend transactions. Ironically, that's when I did them the most.
With the premium plan, I can exchange currencies without limits, 7 days a week. Plus it gives me access to other features such as travel insurance, airport lounges, VPN and the one I have been using the most: a free 7-day eSim card. It worked beautifully in the UAE and in South Africa in the past few weeks.
Officially, the premium plan costs ā¬99 per year (or you can pay monthly). Yet... I technically have not paid it since 2024... Let me explain how.